Category Archives: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Well, David and I met with the respite care providers. Nice family. Mom and Dad seem to think a lot like us. Neat this is that they have adopted a couple of kids as well. So we are excited. This should enhance David’s life by giving us a break from each other. I made sure to let David know that he is still our son, but that this is just a place for him to take a break from our family. The case worker told him to think of it as his vacation home. We spent almost two hours in their home just talking. We talked about our challenges from the past year, about fighting the school district to ensure that David has access to an education in accordance with state and federal law. The mom is studying for a degree in early childhood education. On the way home, David

I find myself repeating everything I say to David. Don’t, Don’t, Don’t do that. Don’t do this… Don’t touch the computer without permission, don’t touch the tv without permission. Don’t touch the Wii without permission. You are not allowed on facebook. Over and Over and Over again. Yet, each morning I get up and when I check my email I find that he has attempted to access facebook, or he has attempted to access yahoo, or… He was born with a traumatic brain injury. I understand that. He has obsessive compulsive disorder, he is oppositional defiant, he has ADHD, he has facets of Autism, he has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, he has Reactive Attachment Disorder. And apparently, he has no memory. I don’t know. I am just so frustrated. I wish that I had a magic wand that I could wave which would allow me to remedy all of the issues

So for what seems like the hundredth time, I had the talk with David, our 10 year old about how his behaviour will follow him for the rest of his life. Do I think I got through to him this time? Sadly, no, I don’t. This is the child who just got out of a residential facility, where he was placed in part because of his behaviour. I explained that there are worse places for him to be, and gave him specific examples. I talked about how when I was a kid, I was in trouble with the law and was taken from my home in handcuffs. Yes, even at the age that he is, they might not use handcuffs, but they could decide that this isn’t the proper environment for him. So the question is, how do we protect him from himself? When it is just him, and myself,